Playing a great role is only half the battle. For an actor, choosing the best parts is just as important as their talent. Whether it is a desperate time for money or the tail-end of a career, even the most revered stars hit the skids at times. With so much competition and so many mediocre scripts, it seems almost inevitable that people falter in their film choices at times.
For these actors, choosing the right role has become a major aspect of their careers. It’s the ability to know their specific styles, tastes, and talent that can allow them to step into an iconic role, own it, and then move on to another. In a world of miscast players, these are 18 actors who were smart in terms of just knowing how to pick the best movie roles.
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18 Christian Bale
Warner Bros. Pictures
From the emaciated lead in The Machinist to Batman Begins to American Pyscho, it seems like everything Christian Bale touches turns to gold. The Academy Award-winner has been choosing amazing roles since the start of his career with very few pitfalls along the way. For fans of Bale, it’s hard to point to anything as a true error in casting judgment. Bale’s name is one that instantly lets an audience member know that the film has high potential before it even begins.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
17 John C. Reilly
Sony Pictures Releasing
Few actors truly know their position in Hollywood like John C. Reilly. The comedic actor has a knack for picking his parts and making them his own. From masterpiece comedies like Step Brothers and Talladega Nights, along with his hilarious counterpart Will Ferrell, to family pictures like Sing and Wreck-It Ralph, there are few, if any, credits to Reilly’s name that don’t stand out as memorable and fitting.
16 Toni Collette
A24
When Toni Collette appears on film, it’s almost certainly a role she melds with. Comedy fans applaud her for parts in Little Miss Sunshine and The United States of Tara. Thriller fans know her from The Sixth Sense and Hereditary. Even docudramas like The Staircase have showcased her stunning range. With a resume like hers, it’s easy to see why Collette’s involvement with a project is almost always a positive sign for moviegoers.
15 Jake Gyllenhaal
Focus Features
Jake Gyllenhaal has that face that just works with any role he’s offered. Whether playing dark, whimsical, or the guy next door, Gyllenhaal could have rested easy in his career. Yet, despite his ability to jump from part to part seamlessly, he has still managed to amass a stunning catalog of films under his name. From the iconic Brokeback Mountain, a role that was seen as controversial to accept at the time, or the middle-school favorite Donnie Darko, Gyllenhaal has carved out a place in Hollywood that few can match.
14 Brad Pitt
Columbia Pictures
For many men of the 1990s, Brad Pitt should have been hated. Seen as the world’s sexiest man for years, the jealousy that Pitt should have evoked would seemingly disqualify him from the favorite-actor list of many men watching his films. Yet, his choices of projects made that impossible. Seven, 12 Monkeys, Fight Club, and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood all gave him a solid place among male viewers. With other movies like Legends of the Fall and Meet Joe Black appealing to a different audience, Pitt spread his reach and expanded his fanbase to a huge level.
13 Mark Ruffalo
Marvel StudiosDisney
No one hates Mark Ruffalo. One of the industry’s most beloved stars, Ruffalo has bonded with his audience through the relatable parts he has chosen to play through the years. While his iconic role as Bruce “Hulk” Banner in the Marvel movies has given him a role to identify with, it’s parts in 13 Going on 30, Dark Waters, and Now You See Me that proved to critics that he’s more than just a green monster raking in green returns at the box office.
12 Jessica Chastain
Walt Disney Studios
Academy Award-winner Jessica Chastain seems to show up in so many amazing films. Whether it’s a classic drama like The Help, a terrifying series like It, or family favorite Madagascar 3, Chastain’s propensity for selecting the right roles has made her a huge star. It’s why Chastain is currently listed as appearing in some of the most well-received films released.
11 Tilda Swinton
Searchlight Pictures
With one of the most unique looks in film, Tilda Swinton can captivate audiences without saying a word. Her haunting presence in the poster for We Need To Talk About Kevin sets the tone for the entire movie. With parts in The Grand Budapest Hotel, Doctor Strange, Vanilla Sky, and The Chronicles of Narnia, it’s easy to understand how Swinton’s selection of top-level projects has added to her mystique. The Academy Award-winning actress has rarely if ever, made a miscalculation in accepting a part.
10 Ryan Gosling
Summit Entertainment
The one thing that this list proves is that choosing the right roles makes an actor appear to be more relatable to audiences. The names here all have that feeling of familiarity to audiences, and Ryan Gosling is definitely a person who can relate to that. The quality films he has chosen to take part in are a huge part of his appeal. From La La Land to The Notebook to Lars and the Real Girl, his choices have been courageous and far from safe. Yet, he has consistently shown that he knows the roles that fit him best.
9 Michael Caine
Warner Bros.
Considered acting royalty, British-born actor Michael Caine has a long history of adding elegance to the pictures he is connected to. It would take forever to list all of his iconic roles from massively popular franchises like Austin Powers, Batman and Jaws. That is what makes Caine so impressive. Choosing the right roles is difficult. Doing so with over 160 movies and seeing such amazing results speaks volumes for Caine’s decision-making when reading through a script.
8 Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Good Machine Releasing
The late, great Phillip Seymour Hoffman proved that knowing your role in Hollywood can be a career-defining talent. Hoffman’s unique look might not have been perfect to play Superman, but it was right for so many other parts offered to him. His career-defining role as Truman Capote might be his most memorable, but with parts in comedies like Along Came Polly, adventures like Twister, and sagas like Hunger Games, Hoffman seemed to relish in picking the right roles to lead him to Oscar wins and audience acceptance.
7 Brendan Gleeson
The IMDB ratings of Brendan Gleeson’s film selections tells a story. The Irish actor has stretched his wings far beyond the classic tales like Braveheart, Troy, and Harry Potter. With sleeper hits like Paddington 2, and its massive critical response, under his belt, Gleeson proves that being brave with different script choices can lead to an impeccable list of projects. Branching out to different genres seems to be key. Figuring out the right films in those genres is important too. Gleeson has that part down to a tee.
6 Idris Elba
BBC One
For many actors, the role of Stringer Bell would have been the end. Idris Elba’s cold and unforgettable role on The Wire would have swallowed the career of a lesser actor. Yet, Elba used it as a step-up to reach the next level in his work. Thor: Ragnarok, Pacific Rim, and Zootopia are all major moments in Elba’s career and showed his range of abilities. With such an impressive body of work, it’s no wonder that there’s constant talk of making his Luther character into the next generation’s version of James Bond.
5 Tom Hardy
With a list like Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dark Knight Rises, Venom, and Inception, it seems like Tom Hardy pops up everywhere. With roles spanning the Marvel and DC Universe, this English actor is one of the most sought-after performers in Tinsel Town. Hitting the jackpot right out of the gate, his debut in Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down set the pace for his successful career, which has spanned over two decades.
4 Brie Larson
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
It says a lot that Brie Larson was able to overcome the bizarre Captain Marvel controversy to remain one of Hollywood’s most adept role-choosers. The Oscar-winning actress may be most associated with her superhero character, but her career has had many more top-notch choices along the way. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, 21 Jump Street, and 13 Going On 30 have all spotlighted Larson’s unbelievable work ethic and ability to gravitate to roles that showcase her in the best light.
3 Domhnall Gleeson
Relativity Media
Perhaps taking advice from his father, Brendan Gleeson (also featured on this list), Domhnall Gleeson has become a major player in Hollywood. Thanks to parts in Harry Potter, Ex Machina, About Time, and Goodbye Christopher Robin, the Irish actor has a haunting presence that stay with an audience long after the credits have rolled. Gleeson’s ability to spot the right parts might be due, in part, to his days behind the camera early in his career. That early work even earned him a Tony Award nomination in 2006. Today, his choices on film on television have granted Gleeson a place at the elite table of Hollywood.
2 Leonardo DiCaprio
Red Granite Pictures
Titanic was epic. Once filming wrapped, Leonardo DiCaprio could have packed up, moved to the North Pole, and lived as a recluse. Still, he would have been famous forever. Yet, DiCaprio continued on and, to this day, chooses some of the most fitting and memorable roles available. Inception, Shutter Island, Wolf of Wall Street, and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood have all contributed to DiCaprio’s massively popular place among Hollywood’s elite. The Academy Award-winner shows no signs of slowing down either, as his roles have evolved to fall in line with his maturity as an actor.
1 Paul Dano
When you add up IMDb scores and look at the star with the most successful rate of picking parts, Paul Dano is king. The actor was revered from the start as his role in Little Miss Sunshine earned him amazing acclaim. Since then, he has never strayed from choosing the best roles to sit his talents. From The Batman to There Will Be Blood, Dano not only takes part in these memorable films, but stands out on screen. Still considered young in many circles, Dano’s best roles may still lay ahead. Given all that he’s done so far, that says a lot.
